Latest California Healthline Stories
New President Faces Tightly ‘Divided’ Congress
Although the outcome of the presidential race remains unclear, whoever wins “faces the task of building a governing coalition from a nation and a Congress ambivalent and polarized,” leaving the fate of some health care initiatives unclear, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medicare HMO Analyst Tells Seniors Not to Rejoin
Seniors who have lost Medicare HMO coverage “should not rejoin another” HMO, warned Michael Weiss, chair of the Florida-based HMO-rating company Weiss Ratings Inc., the Washington Post reports.
Will the New Congress Be Pro-Choice?
For the first time since the 1994 “Republican revolution,” the Senate will have a “pro-choice” majority, although it remains under GOP control, Women’s Enews reports.
Arizona Prop. 204 Requires Federal Funds to Implement
Implementing Arizona’s Proposition 204 — which will bring 130,000 working poor adults into the state’s health care system by raising income eligibility from 34% to 100% of the federal poverty line — “won’t be simple,” the Arizona Republic reports.
Drug Companies Look to Web to Reduce Costs
Hoping to offset the exorbitant cost of researching and developing new drugs, pharmaceutical companies are turning to the Internet to find patients for clinical trials and to market new drugs to physicians, Investor’s Business Daily reports.
Expected Bush Win Boosts Pharmaceutical Stocks
With investors anticipating that Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) will eventually be declared the winner of the presidential election, health care and tobacco stocks rose on Wall Street yesterday, USA Today report.
Chiron Subpoenaed in Discount Pricing Inquiry
The state attorney general’s office has subpoenaed Emeryville, Calif.-based Chiron Corp., a large biotechnology company, to get information on the company’s pricing of generic oncology drugs to the state Medi-Cal program and federal Medicaid program, Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times reports.
Drug Industry Spent Record $80M on Election
In its quest to prevent Democrats from grabbing control of Congress, the pharmaceutical industry raised “piles” of money, used seniors in
ad campaigns, hired lobbyists and public-relations experts, posted banner ads online and distributed free phone-calling cards, and, according to the Wall Street Journal, “they won.”
Democrats Win 8 of 11 Gubernatorial Seats
Out of 11 gubernatorial elections, Democrats successfully defended seven current seats and picked up one additional statehouse with Rep. Robert Wise’s (D) win over incumbent Gov. Cecil Underwood (R).
California voters yesterday approved Proposition 36, a ballot initiative that will allow first and second-time drug offenders to receive treatment instead of jail time.